'Miscommunication' may have led to CN worker's death: police

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Police investigate Thursday afternoon after a CN worker was struck and killed by a VIA Rail train. (Ivy Cuervo/CBC News)

Police say a miscommunication may have led to a collision that killed a CN track worker east of Toronto on Thursday.

Track maintenance engineer Rick McColl, 53, of Hampton, Ont., died after he was struck by a westbound VIA passenger train at 1:10 p.m.

The accident happened five kilometres east of Guildwood Station in Pickering. McColl and another worker, who was not hurt, were performing routine track maintenance when McColl was struck by VIA train No. 51 travelling to Toronto from Montreal and Ottawa.

The accident is being investigated by CN, which owns the tracks, and the Durham Regional Police. Ontario's Labour Ministry is also investigating.